Texas AG: Guns allowed in churches, unless signs say otherwise

Updated 1:12 pm, Thursday, December 21, 2017

The massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs is the worst mass shooting in Texas history.

The massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs is the worst mass shooting in Texas history.

Photo: Eric Gay, STF

Texas AG: Guns allowed in churches, unless signs say otherwise

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AUSTIN -- Handgun license holders can carry handguns into churches unless there are posted signs that ban handguns on the premises, Texas' attorney general said in an opinion Thursday as he sought to clarify the state law in light of last month's deadly church shooting.

Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote in a legal opinion that he interprets state law as allowing handgun license holder to carry their weapon into a church unless the church "provides effective oral or written notice prohibiting the carrying of handguns on its property... as the law allows."

The policy treats churches the same as most other private entities by allowing its leadership to decide their gun policy for themselves.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who leads the state Senate, requested the opinion in the wake of the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs where Devin Patrick Kelley sprayed bullets across the outside of the church before entering the building and shooting congregants, many of whom huddled under pews for protection.

Kelley killed 26 people and injured another 20 before a neighbor intervened, leading the gunman into a shootout that ended in a high-speed car chase. Authorities said Kelley died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and that the shooting spree stemmed from a domestic dispute.

Paxton, a Republican, suggested after the shooting that churchgoers should consider bringing their guns to church to protect themselves from such attacks.

The issue reignited gun debates across the country. Democrats are pushing for greater gun control while U.S. John Cornyn has pushed for a stronger background check system.

Paxton also said in his opinion Thursday that churches are exempt from private security fees charged to private institutions in the state. That fee is normally $400 the first year and costs $225 annually.

Andrea Zelinski covers politics and the courts for the Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com.